FORMER LIVERPOOL STAR Daniel Sturridge’s Perth Glory debut ended with a 1-1 draw against Adelaide United in Australia’s A-League today.
In front of a sold-out HBF Park in Perth, Sturridge played his first professional in almost 21 months, having only emerged from mandatory two-week hotel quarantine 10 days ago.
The 32-year-old, whose last competitive outing was for Turkish side Trabzonspor, started on the bench and received loud applause every time he was shown on the ground’s big screen. He finally made his much-anticipated appearance in the 85th minute.
“It felt great… the game was close, unfortunately we didn’t get the win,” Sturridge said. “It’s not easy going from being in a room to playing professional games. It will take time.”
Adelaide’s domination was rewarded in the 22nd minute through striker Kusini Yengi, only for Glory star Bruno Fornaroli to equalise with a blistering long-range strike before half-time.
Restless fans, many of whom were attired in Liverpool’s famous red kit, demanded Sturridge be subbed into the game and their wish was granted in the 85th minute.
Sturridge, who played for England at the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016, received a standing ovation from much of the faithful but couldn’t weave any late heroics.
The Glory, who had ex-Ireland striker Andy Keogh up front, will hit the road for the remainder of the calendar year due to Western Australia’s stringent border controls amid the pandemic.
